


Synchronicity

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Shmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8401471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: We have two days left of our vacation alone on Caldos II, and I'm reluctant to leave.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/gifts).



> Spoilers: This takes place approximately 12 years after the series finale.
> 
> Note: All _~italicized~_ text is telepathic speech. All other _italicized_ text is emphasis.

Waking up slowly, I stretch out a hand toward my beloved, but find her side of the bed empty, the sheets already bereft of her body's warmth. We have two days left of our vacation alone on Caldos II, and I'm reluctant to leave. I miss our friends, but I find, with each successive visit, that I could easily retire from Starfleet and live here with Beverly for the rest of our lives.

Flipping back the covers, I shiver slightly and reach for my robe. That's when I see the envelope sitting on the nightstand. My name is written in flowing script that I've come to recognize as Beverly's. The sight of it makes me smile as I pull the sheet of cream colored paper from its matching envelope.

> Dear Deanna, 
> 
> I know you probably aren't expecting something like this from me, or maybe you are. I hope you won't mind, but it just feels right for me. Maybe it's being in this cabin that makes me yearn for simpler times and practices.
> 
> Thank you for coming to Nana Felisa's cabin with me. I need to say that first. And before you say it, I know you don't mind coming to the cabin. It's as tranquil for you as it is for me. You've been here with me several times before, but I just wanted to thank you this time.
> 
> This past week has been incredible. Lazy mornings in bed, curled together in the cocoon of blankets that you prefer in this cooler weather. A few chores in the morning, made easier by sharing them. Long walks on the moors or down by the water after a big lunch. Dinner by candlelight, our chairs impossibly close as we feed each other. Late nights by the fire, talking and making love until exhaustion overcomes us and we stumble up to remake that warm little cocoon in our bed. What a lovely routine to fall into.
> 
> And now, as our week comes to a close, more chores have cropped up to prepare for the arrival of our friends tomorrow for a day of rest before we all return to the _Enterprise_. Everyone in town is excited for the festivities, but I feel the burden of making sure everything goes perfectly. Thank you for being so patient with my fits of perfectionism in organizing the party.
> 
> Speaking of perfectionist tendencies, I feel like I'm thanking you in every other sentence. I'm sorry. I guess I'm more nervous about the party than I expected. I'm representing the Howard Clan, and Nana Felisa was known to throw the most incredible parties. As the clan matriarch, I feel an odd sense of duty to follow in her footsteps.
> 
> But I promise that I will make tonight special and just about you. I believe there is a long, luxurious soak in the bath in our cards. You have always been my priority on this trip.
> 
> I love you, Deanna.
> 
> Yours,  
>  Beverly
> 
> P.S. I'm out in the garden whenever you get up. There are scones on the counter in the kitchen. If you wouldn't mind, could you make some tea before you come out to see me? XOXO -B

Her postscript makes me laugh, even as my stomach growls at the thought of scones. A quick shower helps to wake me up further, and I dress in warm clothes before making the bed and heading downstairs. The coals are still banked in the fireplace from last night, but it doesn't take long to get a nice fire going to warm the place up. Clearly Beverly went outside immediately upon waking, not that I'm surprised by this revelation at all. The routine of brewing tea for the two of us settles me further in my skin, mind reaching out to brush across that of my _imzadi_.

 _~You're up early,~_ she replies, humor lacing her thoughts. _~And here I thought you'd sleep in until nearly noon.~_

_~Very funny. I was cold and lonely.~_

_~I'm sorry. I wanted to get some last minute herbs picked before tomorrow.~_

_~I understand. Tea's almost ready. I'll be out soon.~_

The approval glides across my mind along with the love that tastes like the finest pepper-infused chocolate. Two cups of spice tea are prepared to our individual tastes, and I finish my scone before taking them outside. It doesn't take long to find my love in her garden. Her basket is filled with half a dozen different herbs that I can name on sight and at least as many that I can't. I'm not sure if that would please her grandmother or not.

"Given how you were raised, and how little we come here, Nana would be pleased with what you _do_ know," she says with a smile. She sets her handful of herbs into the basket, then carefully stands and brushes away the dirt from her pants and hands. That done, she steps over to me to take her cup, kissing me lightly in the process. "Good morning, my love."

"Good morning, _Imzadi_. I see you've been busy."

She grins and sips at her tea, a small moan escaping her lips. "How did you know I was in the mood for peppermint?" I barely get the chance to grin when she shakes her head. "Nope! Never mind. Don't bother answering that. I already know the answer to that."

"No, you don't," I reply with a chuckle. "I was cold this morning, and the peppermint tea always warms me up. I made it because _I_ wanted it. It was just a happy synchronicity that you wanted the same thing."

Beverly narrows her eyes, but I can see the mischief twinkling in them, as well as the twitch of her lips as she tries not to smile. We stand there for a moment or two, sipping our tea and just relaxing in each other's company. There's an undercurrent of nervousness to her emotional chord, but I can tell she's not ready to discuss it yet.

"Is there anything I can help you with? I assumed everything was already done for the festival tomorrow."

"It is. These herbs are coming back to the ship with us. I know that I have cuttings in the hydroponics bay, but they just don't feel as effective as these do."

Leaning up to press a kiss to her lips, a gentle flow of calm moves across our bond. "You're thinking too much, Beverly."

"I know." She takes a larger gulp of her tea, but the nervousness notches up even before she does it. "Are you up for a walk down by the moors? I think I need to do something different, something special with my best girl."

"Finish your tea and I'll take our cups inside."

We fall into a companionable silence as we finish our tea, then I grab the cups to take them inside as Beverly grabs her basket of herbs to do the same. We turn to head outside and make our way out to the moors, hand in hand. I've seen these moors at all times of day and night, but my favorite is when the fog is thick and low-lying, like it is now. We settle on a favorite boulder with a good view of the water down below. I could stay like this with her for the rest of eternity and never get bored of it.

"I've been doing some thinking," she starts slowly, thumb tracing across my knuckles. "And I have something I want to ask you. You don't have to answer right away."

Even before she asks me, I know what's coming. And it has nothing to do with the bond of love between us. No, this happens completely by accident, a trick of synchronicity perhaps, but I can't be upset by how it all unfolds.

"You know you can ask me anything, _Imzadi_. There are no secrets between us, remember?"

She smiles and nods, then lifts our intertwined hands to press a kiss to my knuckles. "You like it here on Caldos, right? You don't just agree to our trips here because it's what I want?"

"I love it here. Things are so much calmer here. It feels comfortable. It feels like _home_ somehow."

"That's what I thought." She licks her lips nervously, glances out at the distant waves for a moment, still holding my hand close. When she meets my gaze again, there's a determination in her eyes that takes my breath away. "Deanna, I think it's time for me to make this my permanent home. I've been thinking about this for a while, but it's really hit home this week with you. When we get back to the _Enterprise_ , I'm going to talk to Jean-Luc about retiring so I can come back here and be the healer that Nana always wanted me to be." She coughs suddenly, as if to clear her throat, but her gaze never wavers from mine, and that sensation of determination is muted by a healthy dose of trepidation.

"Beverly, you're nervous. What is it?"

"I want you to come home with me, Deanna. I understand if you're not ready for it yet, but would you consider retirement to live here with me, as a co-healer and… And eventually as my wife?"

"I--" My voice cracks on that one word, stunned by the last part of her question. "Do you mean it?"

"With every fiber of my being," she says softly. "We've known each other for nearly twenty years now, and we've been together for over half of that. There's no one else I want in my life but you. And you always feel so much more relaxed when you're here."

A noise escapes me that's half laughter and half strangled sob, and I nod. "Yes, _Imzadi_."

"Yes? To which part?"

I lean forward to capture her lips in a kiss. _~To all of it, of course!~_ Another laugh escapes me as her relief and happiness flood my senses.

"You mean it?" she asks, pulling back to cup my face in her hands and stare into my eyes. "You really want to be this healer's wife on Caldos?"

"I do. Don't laugh, but I was thinking about just that when I woke up this morning."

"You were?" When I nod, she kisses me again, and my body relaxes against hers. "Can we announce our engagement tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll have to send word to Mother, too." A sudden spike of guilt jolts across our bond. "What did you do?"

"She may already know that it's coming," Beverly replies, cheeks flushing deep red. "I may have asked for her permission to ask you."

"And she's kept it a secret?" That shocks me even more than Mother knowing in the first place. "Clearly she was all right with the idea?"

"Her exact words were 'It's about damned time', both verbally and telepathically."

That gets me laughing. "That sounds about right. We'll contact her tonight to let her know first, and Wesley, too, if you know how to contact him. We can tell the others tomorrow when they arrive." She nods and a tear slips down her cheek. I'm sure I'm crying, too, but I don't feel it. "And we'll both talk to the Captain about retirement when we return to the ship. I love you, _Imzadi_ , and I'm more than ready to spend the rest of my life as your wife."

"I love you, too, my love."


End file.
